So, as usual, it feels like I’m late in responding to an issue that hundreds of others have already given their two cents on. Life, and horrible writer’s block, prevail again it seems. Anyway, for anyone who hasn’t noticed the latest “controversy” in the world of Warhammer 40,000, Games Workshop has recently unveiled Warhammer Adventures, a pair of book series aimed at “boys and girls aged 8-12,” with what looks like a series each for Warhammer 40,000 and Age of Sigmar.
So, I acknowledge that I am criminally late in posting this, especially since I am a Sisters of Battle player. The past weekend has been both busy and…well, complicated for me, and so I have been somewhat distracted.
That being said…ohmygodanewSororitasminiIcan’tbelieveit’sactuallyhappeningaaaaaaaaaaa is pretty much what my reaction was last Saturday.
To recap: WarhammerFest 2018 happened last Saturday in the UK, and among the many things that were previewed were the upcoming Adeptus Titanicus game, the new Nighthaunt army for Age of Sigmar, assorted Horus Heresy stuff…and the first preview of what the new Sisters of Battle are going to look like. And…all I can say is wow. The detailing on the model is absolutely beautiful– in particular I am blown away by the detail on her face (including the scarification), the smoothness and detail of the armour, and even her scenic base. The model almost perfectly captures the classic Sisters of Battle illustration that it’s being shown next to– so much so that a few users on Sisters of Battle boards have even wondered if she is going to be a new special character– ie, possibly Sister Miriya from the Faith and Fire novel that uses that illustration on the cover. I personally think it’s doubtful, but you never know.
There are a few important things to keep in mind, though: this is just a preview model, which means that, firstly, this particular model may not necessarily become part of the line when it’s released, and secondly, the actual range may not necessarily look like this, although I think it’s safe to say that this looks close. Some friends of mine have also pointed out that the model seems unusually smooth and clean-cut: this leads me to suspect that this is either a computer-generated test image, or an enlarged test model. If either case, then I think it’s unlikely that the final product’s level of detail will still be fantastic.
Even if it isn’t this fantastic, however, I will still be happy. If this model is anything to go by, then the new Sisters of Battle models will be everything that SoB players have been hoping for– dynamic, detailed and ornate, while not straying too far from the look of the original metal models. While I’m not about to ditch my current metal army for the new plastics (I have devoted too much time and effort to them for that), I will definitely be getting the new plastic minis to bolster their ranks. Furthermore, while this mini has given me a decent idea of what the basic Battle Sisters will look like, I now find myself wondering about how the more specialized units will look when they’re– ie, Seraphim and Celestians, not to mention characters (hopefully they will have more than just Saint Celestine). I’m hoping they also do some of the Ecclesiarchy stuff, particularly Arco-Flagellants and Penitent Engines (the latter of which have some of the most horribly hard to assemble minis on the planet). And I’ll admit, a small part of me is hoping for a plastic return of the Repressor…
After a hiatus in gaming brought on my work and life constraints, I finally have some time to get some games in in the next few weeks. I’m looking at this as an opportunity to finally test out the Drukhari book, and so I’ve had plenty of time to fidget between various lists on Battlescribe.
Today, Games Workshop released its new free online army list-generator, Combat Roster. This handy app…
…oh sorry, did I say app? Scratch that, contrary to expectations, Combat Roster is NOT an app: it is, in fact, an application usable only on the Games Workshop website, which already makes it a little less versatile than some of the…well…other army list generators out there. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Combat Roster had been teased for several weeks now, and was heralded as pretty much the 40k version of Age of Sigmar’s Warscroll Builder.
Ostensibly, Combat Roster is there to make army list building easier. So, after I tried to make an army list on Combat Roster, here’s what I’ve determined this generator can do:
-Provide quick power level costs for a variety of units across a variety of armies
-Interchange effortlessly between factions if you’re going for a “soup” style list.
-Export completed lists into a printable PDF format
-Save your list for further tinkering later
-Add or decrease models from units
Aaaaand here’s what Combat Roster doesn’t include:
-Detachments
-Psychic powers
-Relics
-Actual points values as opposed to power levels
-Anything that is actually from a codex- it is all Index and Forge World stuff only
-Unit stats or special rules
-Options for adding wargear or unit upgrades of any kind
-An inbuilt system warning you that your list is illegal
-A phone app feature so that you don’t actually have to be on the net to make a list on the fly
Now, it could be that Combat Roster is still a work in progress, and that some of these features may come later. But until that happens, Combat Roster feels like nothing more than a pale, helplessly flailing imitation of Battlescribe, which does all of the above things that Combat Scribe is missing, is available on phone, is updated regularly and is available for a wide range of games beyond just 40k.
This is to say nothing of Army Builder, which, like Battlescribe, covers things like points costs, abilities, wargear options, detachments, etc– the main difference, however, being that you are limited in your roster size unless you buy the full version. Even then…you’re getting a lot more bang for your buck than you would with Combat Roster as it is now.
Oh, GW, you tried…
So, I’ve been meaning to write this review ever since the book came out. Sadly, work and other real life stuff has been incessantly getting in the way, and so this review is a bit late– by now, most of you have already read better, and more concise reviews on the new codex. Regardless, I’m here to give my two cents on the new book, what I like and dislike about it, what I thought the most significant changes are, and what I think it means for the army going forward.
